Cost Slows U. Hanover Talks For Upper Perk Police Service

Negotiations to bring Upper Perkiomen police officers into Upper Hanover Township to assist on emergency calls have been put on hold while officials debate costs.

Representatives of area ambulance services last fall asked Upper Hanover officials to negotiate a pact with the police district that would allow Upper Perk officers to respond with the ambulance at township incidents.

Upper Hanover is covered by state police. The township opted not to join the police district when it was formed by East Greenville, Red Hill and Pennsburg a decade ago.

The issue came to a head after a stabbing last November in the Palm area of the township. It took state police 25 minutes to get to the scene. The victim, who was pronounced dead at the scene, was able to receive medical attention because an Upper Perkiomen officer responded with the ambulance.

Officials from Upper Hanover and the police commission met last week to negotiate. They discussed the issue and took the information back to their respective ruling bodies, officials said.

The major issue is cost, with regional police officials suggesting a two-tier system that calls for an hourly rate and a retainer. The cost would be negotiated.

Representatives from the police said they just wanted to show township officials how much work and money went into running the department, which has a $477,000 budget this year.

"We went in with a very open mind and with no preconceived dollar figures," said Gene Yerger, a police representative from East Greenville and chairman of the negotiation commission. "I tried to show them what the service cost and our feelings on the situation."

Lewis Miller, an Upper Hanover supervisor, said the two sides were far from an agreement on the service.

"They wanted a retainer, but wouldn't say how much," Miller said. "They wouldn't give us a number and when someone suggested $10,000, they said that was a little much." Yerger said the police would still supply the ambulance service with coverage in the township as negotiations continued.

"The main point is we have a budget of $477,000 and that's a lot of money," he said. "We get a lot for it. We guarantee that if there's an emergency in the boroughs, we can get there in minutes.

"We've assured the ambulance service that they are not being held hostage at all," he said. "We are not going to let them down in an emergency."